Animals experience grief when companions die. Understanding and supporting bereaved animals prevents secondary suffering following the loss of bonded companions.
Companion animal grief is a welfare concern that owners sometimes overlook because it follows the welfare concern of the companion's death. Yet a surviving animal searching for a lost companion, refusing food, or becoming withdrawn is experiencing genuine distress that deserves a welfare response. Supporting bereaved animals through additional attention, maintained routine, and appropriate social reintroduction serves their welfare. The recognition that animals grieve also provides evidence about the depth of their social bonds and emotional lives that strengthens the case for taking animal welfare seriously across all contexts.